LASIK
Are you tired of wearing your glasses all the time or sick of putting contacts in and having itchy eyes on top of it. And the fact that when your glasses are not on or contacts not in, makes it almost impossible to see anything, as everything becomes a blur. This is something that most people just become accustomed to and it is part of their everyday life, so they learn to deal with it. Let’s not forget the cost of your glasses or getting new contacts frequently. Some may think there is no cure for poor eyesight, or some might not want to go through with the procedure of trying to get it corrected. Good news has arrived, and that comes in a package called “Lasik Eye Surgery.” Now don’t be afraid by the word surgery, because it is a rather noninvasive and pain free process that can maximize your eyesight significantly. Lasik eye surgery which stands for “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis" is a simple and quite gratifying technique that can enhance your vision and get rid of those glasses or contacts for good. About 1 million people in the U.S. get this procedure done each year. Lasik can range from $500 - $2500 per eye, although the average cost is about $2200, and the price is dependant on the technology that is used, the experience of the surgeon, and the type of technology used to operate on and enhance the cornea. (www.docshop.com) This is a rather large amount of money up front but it will definitely pay off in the future. Lasik, or sometimes incorrectly called Lasix, has its many benefits but there are some possible side effects that can result from it. Here are some statistics that are related to this surgery. : · The FDA says that complications occur in about 1-5 percent of patients : · Glare and sensitivity to light affect 1.7 % of LASIK patients : · Visual fluctuation occur in about 2.6 % of patients : · Halos around light sources are experienced by 3.5 % of patients. : · About 3 % of patients report vision worse than before LASIK. : · 92.6 % of patients achieve 20/40 vision or better : · Up to 85% of patients achieve 20/20 vision : · 95.4% patient satisfaction rate : · The surgery takes 10-15 minutes and you are awake the whole time, although an anesthetic is used around the eye. (www.docshop.com) These statistics would pretty much sum the procedure up. Although there are qualifications that have to be met and risks that are involved, why not take the opportunity to get perfect vision and make your life more enjoyable. There are three basic steps that are included in Lasik eye surgery. They are : 1. To create a flap of corneal tissue : 2. Remodeling the cornea underneath the flap with a laser : 3. Repositioning of the flap The first step is necessary so that the cornea can be opened and so it can be reshaped. This is done by first putting a corneal suction ring on the eye, which holds it in place. This can sometimes cause small blood vessels to burst which results in bleeding, but it is a harmless side effect that is resolved in a few weeks. Now that the eye is held in place, the flap can be created. This is done by using a microkeratome device, or a femtosecond laser. A microkeatome is a precision surgical instrument with an oscillating metal blade which cuts the corneal flap. The human corneal flap is 500 – 600 micrometers thick, and the microkeratome creates a 100 – 200 micrometer thick flap in the cornea. The newer and advanced femtosecond laser uses a very thin beam of light which creates a series of tiny closely arranged bubbles inside the cornea. A hinge is left at one end of the flap, and the flap is then folded back to reveal the mid section of the cornea (stroma). Now that the flap is created, we can get underway with step number two. This includes using an Excimer laser to reshape and remodel the cornea. This laser is quite unique because it does not burn or cut the tissue, but rather adds enough energy to disrupt the molecular bonds, which in turn disintegrate the tissue of the newly exposed surface of the cornea. This is all accomplished by the ultra violet beam that comes from the laser, and it usually only takes about one minute to complete. The layer of tissue removed is sometimes dozens of micrometers thick. During this step the patients vision will become quite blurry, and they will only be able to see the white light that surrounds the orange light of the laser, which could cause some disorientation. Current Eximer lasers use an eye tracking system which follow the patients eye position up to 4000 times per second. After the laser has reshaped the cornea, the third step is to reposition the corneal flap over the treatment area. The surgeon checks for the presence of air bubbles, debris, and the proper fit of the flap on to the eye. The flap naturally adheres itself to the eye until the healing is completed. Some post care is required for a person who has just undergone the surgery. They usually get an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory eye drops to use for a few weeks or until needed. The patient is supposed to sleep much more than normal and they are given a pair of dark glasses to protect their eyes from bright lights, and a pair of goggles to keep them from rubbing their eyes when sleeping. They also are required to moisturize their eyes with preservative-free tears. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LASIK#Operation) Now that you know how the surgery is performed, you might wonder why exactly do I need this surgery. Well the obvious answer is “so that I can see better,” but let’s look at how the pupil and retina work to get a better understanding of poor eyesight. The human eye acts like a camera with a clear lens in the front and a light sensitive tissue in the back. This lens consists of the cornea and lens working together to refract light to the retina, and accounts for 2/3 of the eyes total optical power. The light sensitive tissue in the back is called the retina, which acts like a photographic film. In an eye with perfect vision, light rays that pass through the pupil are focused by the lens to fall directly at the center of the retina. There are many common problems that can affect the eye and therefore cause these light rays to not fall directly on the center of the retina. Three of these problems include… 1. Myopia (nearsightedness)- the shape of the eye is to long or the curve of the cornea is too extreme. The light rays are focused on a point in front of the retina, instead of the retina itself. Person has trouble viewing objects far away from them. 2. Hyperopia (farsightedness)- the shape of the eye is too short. Light rays are focused on a point behind the retina. Person has trouble viewing objects close to them. 3. Astigmatism- the cornea is unevenly curved causing light rays to fall off center or not to focus properly at all. A person cannot see things in fine detail, and vertical lines may appear to be slanted. Lasik can fix all these problems by flattening the cornea and allowing the light entering the eye to fall more closely to the center of the retina. And the best part is there will be no more need for glasses or contacts ever again. (www.lasikeyesurgery.com/lasik-eye-surgery.html) Overall, Lasik eye surgery is a good operation to have done if you have vision problems. Although it costs $3000 - $4000 up front for both eyes, the long term payoff is definitely worth it. Of course there are people that have negative things to say about it, but weigh your options and check into it for yourself. Go to your eye doctor and have them give you some more information on it and see if you qualify for the surgery. Hopefully this article was of some help to assist you in making a quality decision, for the future of your eyes. Category:Informational article